MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

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  GeoffWard2

  Two antagonistic forces at work here;
  (i) The introducing of the 25 year rule, limiting the release of 'sensitive' information (anything can be deemed sensitive).
  (ii) The (illegal?) release of information to the media eg. Folhaleaks, Wikileaks.
  
  Should we not be looking towards a Freedom Of Information Act, like much of the developed world?
  
  There is the risk in Brasil, that simply putting the corruption in the public domain will not create a ground-swell of public anger (as one might expect), but might simply show the amateur-currupt how to do it more professionally and efficiently . . . . with the tacit 'agreement and approval' of the general public.
  
  Whereas some areas of public concern will bring millions onto the street, a recent anti-corruption mass demonstration attracted just 2000 protesters.
  Luckily, the worldwide (diasporic) Avaarz internet Brasilian-anti-corruption campaigns attracts millions. . . .
  . . . . but the corrupt establishment carry on corrupting flagrantly and increasingly openly.
  
  What hope for Brasil ???

  Sep 21st, 2011 - 07:36 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
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• 

  ntomanstefa

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  Sep 22nd, 2011 - 12:29 am - Link - Report abuse 0
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  Fido Dido

  Lol, at Geoff, with his “ Freedom Of Information Act, like much of the developed world”
  
  As if that works in the so called ”developed world. You haven't witnessed how they deal with that during this so called credit crisis (biggest fraud case), but an ideologue and fool can't see that, as usual.

  Sep 22nd, 2011 - 01:08 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
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  GeoffWard2

  Fido,
  a FIA would reveal the location of the 500 'adopted' Argentinian babies, wouldn't it?
  A FIA would reveal the link between the Mothers, CFK and the money laundering, wouldn't it?
  A FIA would reveal the details of the Mensalao, and who were the corrupt individuals in the huge Brasilian corruption case, wouldn't it?
  A FIA would reveal those responsible for 'disappearences', wouldn't it?'
  A FIA would reveal all the corrupt deals that slid through the system in Brasil and Argentina, wouldn't it?
  Etc, etc, etc, etc, . . . . . .
  
  Or are all the 'bodies buried so deep that nobody could find them'?
  
  These days the *electronic record* of activities and money trails is incredibly hard to erase - only those like Daniel Dantas seem clever enough to encrypt so deeply that the Federal authorities can't indict them.

  Sep 22nd, 2011 - 05:39 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
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  Fbear

  It is not hard to see why Folhaleaks has been activated. When any
  'news” organization so obviously opposed to the guvernment as this elitist mouthpiece has shown itself to be, then one must conclude that providing a way to collect unsubstantiated rumors of corruption in government to pass off as factual merely proves a more sinister agenda. By creating this site, Folha has succeeded in reducing its own credibilty to a new low point.

  Sep 24th, 2011 - 03:28 am - Link - Report abuse 0
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  GeoffWard2

  Re: #8
  
  If Folha operates with follow-up investigative journalism - which it MUST do to avoid litigation - and can validate it's assertions at the point of publication, then it can pass on its evidences to the courts for criminal and civil actions to proceed.
  
  If the authorities are aware of these activities but show inaction, then court proceedings should be initiated against the authorities.
  
  If court proceedings take place but the judiciary fails to apply the law to convict, then proceedings should be initiated against the judiciary.
  
  If politicians lean on, or pay off, the judiciary to not-convict, then proceedings should be initiated along the whole sorry chain of those culpable.
  
  If there arises a situation -
  - which I believe to pertain at this time -
  - where there are too few untainted individuals to bring effective criminal proceedings against the whole of the Brasilian chain of corruption,
  then it is time to tear up the ineffective Constitution and it's practical edifice,
  and start again.

  Sep 24th, 2011 - 01:51 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
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  Fbear

  One would hope that there would be follow-up inveetigation, but news agencies have traditionally operated with their own political agendae and, as a result, can easily report information rumored to be true without anything more than a statement that it is a rumor. However, once the report is circulated, enough readers will believe the rumor, even if it later is proven untrue. In this manner, biased news agencies haved traditionally influenced opinion into their corner. Rather than operate in this way, why does not Folha support the efforts of the Rousseff administration to clean up corroution, as she has alreadn shown herself ready and willing to do.

  Sep 27th, 2011 - 02:15 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
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  GeoffWard2

  I guess Folha will back such anti-corruption moves and will help to form the climate of opinion that will allow the president to do this - against the wishes of the crooked permanent political establishment.
  
  After some years of close observation of media exposés, the prevailing feature of them is that there is sufficient evidence in their hands to substantiate their claims - evidence that they make available to facilitate criminal proceedings, whenever the Government seem so minded to proceed and progress cases against itself.

  Sep 27th, 2011 - 09:02 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
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